Forever
by caera
Summary: He thought that things would go on like that forever - as always; but he was wrong. You may never know when your last proper conversation with your loved one would be, and it never would be for forever, nothing is forever - except loving someone. (sorry for the summary; I'm still working on it...)
1. Chapter 1

It was already seven in the evening, so the lights were on, and the room was bright; its walls were colored sky blue with white and dark blue patterns in them. Two persons were in the living room, a girl with blue hair, and a boy with black hair, sitting on their sofa and talking.

_"Just don't drink too much and come home early, okay, Gray-sama?" _the pale-skinned girl said to the boy beside her with a glint of eagerness in her dark blue eyes.

_"Yeah, yeah, sure." _answered the black-haired boy, rising from his seat. And so did the girl stand.

_"Juvia can't wait for you to get back! Juvia will make it our best anniversary celebration!" _Juvia said with a twirl and a clap of her hands.

_"I haven't even left yet, ya know. Don't go on and be too excited; just relax, will ya? It's just our anniversary and it's gonna be the same as when we were celebrating our monthsaries." _Gray said and started walking towards the door.

_"It will not; later at 12 midnight would be our first anniversary. So Juvia will make it something different, something special than our previous celebrations!" _she said with a pout, while following him to the door. _"So go home early, okay?"_

_"Sure, sure." _he said when he reached their door.

_"Hmm, Gray-sama?" _Juvia asked, standing behind him.

_"Huh?" _he replied, turning around to face her.

_"I love you," _she said, then hugged him.

_"I know, I know,"_ Gray said with a grin and hugged her back, then pulled away after some seconds, heading out of the door. _"See ya, Juvia."_

And that was their last conversation for the day.

* * *

Now, it's already two in the morning, and it's only now that he thought of going on his way home, to see Juvia - and probably be yelled at for being late at their planned celebration. It was raining, but he didn't care. He felt all giddy, his steps unsteady, head spinning, things doubling, for he had been drunk - very drunk.

He got carried away earlier, and enjoyed too much of his friends' company. He drank one beer, thinking it won't hurt to take one. Then two, saying two would be okay. Then three, because he'll stop after that. Then four, telling himself that he'll stop soon. Then five, just one more shot, he says. Then six. Then seven... And he loss control and loss track of his time as he drank and talked and partied with his friends.

His mind is spinning too much now, crowded with thoughts jumbled up and swirling around everywhere, too much that he can't think of what he'll be telling his girlfriend when he gets home looking like this - and this late.

She had told him not to get drunk, and to come home early, yet, he still did get drunk and is now coming home three hours late. He was supposed to be home at eleven in the evening, not two in the morning. He mumbled some curses under his breath as he walked, cursing himself for being too carried away and forgetting what he had to do. He was also supposed to buy her a gift - it's their first anniversary together, so of course he had to have a gift for her. He'd been saving some money for her gift, but now he didn't even get the time to buy her any, because of him being carried away. He loves her a lot, of course; even though he rarely shows it, and never even told her 'I love you', he does - he just doesn't want to show and tell her because he already knows for sure that Juvia does know that. And he knows she loves him a lot, too.

A part of him tells that he should not really worry about him going home drunk, late, and without a gift for her on their anniversary, because he knows that she'll understand, just like how she always does. She loves him very much; she's kind, caring, loving, and very forging when it comes to him - that's why he should not worry. Yet there's still this part of him that worries.

A part of him is worrying that he'll make her mad again - well, temporarily, because she doesn't stay mad at him for too long; but clearly, he sees disappointment and sadness in her eyes every time they have some arguments, or when he does stupid things. He doesn't want her to be sad, or mad, or disappointed, but he just can't help it - he can't help not making mistakes, and being carried away by his carelessness. He doesn't want to lose her, he wants her to be with him - forever, always. He never told her that because he thinks that she'll always be with him, anyway; so he didn't need to, and right now he doesn't have to. But what if...? No, no, don't think such thoughts. She was always with him ever since she joined their guild, and he's sure that she always will be.

* * *

Mind still spinning with thoughts, everything still spinning around, everything doubling around, he reached their house. He walked in front of two doors, trying hard to see which door is their door and which door is just an effect of him being drunk. He reached for one door's knob, and just grabbed nothing but air instead, so he tried and reached for the other knob, then twisted it to open their door.

The house was pitch black, all the lights were turned off. It took him some time before his eyes finally adjusted to the dark. _'I guess she's already sleeping...' _he thought. But then, another thought struck him. _'Juvia never leaves all the lights out when she sleeps; she leaves at least one lamp on.' _The thought sent a shiver to him and slightly woke him up, and snap him out from his drunk state. _'I shouldn't worry too much; I'm sure she was just too tired to turn on a lamp or something... right? Well, I can't think of any other reason.' _

He reached out to switch the lights on, then looked around. Their living room seemed normal; it looked just the same as before he left her there. But still, his heart can't stop but start to beat fast, feeling that something's wrong.

He rushed in to their kitchen, turned their lights on, and found it arranged lovingly. Pink roses and petals were scattered around; and even their kitchen walls were filled with design. Their table and two chairs were covered in sky blue cloth - their favorite color, with small pink hearts as their design, and small words 'Happy Anniversary' written in them. On the table was a candle holder, gold with silver linings, and roses carved in it. The candles in it probably burnt out already, for what was left in it was it's melted pink candle body. Then there was a cake - made by Juvia. It was chocolate, with strawberries, and heart shaped, with _'Happy First Anniversary, Gray-sama~', 'I love you', '~Juvia' _topped on it. Even the plates, spoons, and forks had been prepared. With his heart now beating faster, louder, with shame, embarrassment, and worry, he rushes to their room.

He turned the lights on, and looked around; even this room had been lovingly decorated. _'Juvia must've prepared really hard and put a lot of efforts for this,' _he thought. Still feeling slightly giddy, he sat on their bed, to at least be able to remain steady and try to think about what might have happened to Juvia. Grabbing a pillow to lean on, a note gets revealed under. It was a piece of paper, that appears to have been crumpled too many times already, as if the writer was hesitant whether or not to leave it here, and had been recently - maybe more or less than an hour ago - wet with tears. He looked at the note and tried to read it, but he still sees a bit of doubles on the letters, so he closed his eyes for a minute to try and concentrated again. After that, he tried to read it again. It read:

_Dear Gray-sama,_

_Happy first anniversary! Juvia wanted to greet you first, and early, at exactly twelve midnight, but you weren't home yet. Juvia's getting worried while waiting for you; Juvia hopes nothing bad happens to you, because Juvia can't really live to that if something bad happens to Gray-sama. _

_Well, if you found this letter, then that must mean that you got home safely. Did you like how Juvia arranged the kitchen and our room, Gray-sama? Did you like the cake and the other things that Juvia had prepared? Juvia wanted to be the one to show you these surprises and celebrate with you, but it seems that Juvia can't._

_Juvia needs to go somewhere right now. It's really important; a few minutes ago, someone called Juvia that they have one of Juvia's old comrades, so Juvia needs to go to them. I'm sorry, Gray-sama, this is all Juvia can say about it; Juvia's not allowed to reveal any information about it to anyone, or else they're hurt Juvia's old nakama. Also, Juvia doesn't know when she'll be back. But, please don't worry; Juvia will be fine._

_Oh, and, you know, Gray-sama? Juvia's always been wondering if you feel the same to Juvia as how Juvia feels about you. Because you've never even told Juvia 'I love you' - Juvia knows they're just simple three words, but, it's important for Juvia to hear you say that, you know? Juvia would surely be, without a doubt, the happiest girl in the world when Juvia hears you say that. Forgive Juvia about that; Juvia doesn't know what suddenly got into her that made her write it here. This was supposed to be a letter about greeting you on our anniversary, but now it's loosing its topic and turning to be something else._

_Juvia does not want to start complaining about things about us or anything... Juvia is already happy with just us being together for a year now, anyway. And it's our anniversary today, so Juvia should stop saying nonsensical things. _

_So Juvia will stop writing now and go to where Juvia was supposed to meet the caller who has Juvia's nakama as a captive; time's running out. Please don't try to look for Juvia; or worry about Juvia. Again, sorry about this. And thank you. For everything, Gray-sama. I love you._

_ Forever loving you,_

_ Juvia Lockser_

His eyes started to fill with water, and he fought it back. With shaky hands, blurry vision, and a heart beating fast and loud in his ears, he rushed out to the door and out of their house, to search for Juvia.

* * *

He ran around and around, with no particular aim on where he should go. He ran aimlessly, eyes scanning here and there, ears listening there and here. He passed their neighbors houses; ran through the whole town square, looking at all the corners he could, but found no sign of Juvia. Then he searched at the park, and just when he was getting hopeless, he heard a scream far away. The scream was from the forest, just straight through the park. And he could not have mistaken it; it was Juvia's scream that he had just heard.

He ran as fast as he could; his heart pounding so fast and loud, as if it wants to rip out of his chest at that moment already, while he wonders what might happen to Juvia; and legs burning and sweat streaming from all the running.

_'Get there in time, get there in time, get there in time... I hope I'm not too late, not too late... Please, please, please, please, please!' _he kept repeating to himself as he ran.

...

...

...

Well, he did get there... Just in time, but too late. He got there just in time too see a cloaked figure vanish in front of his eyes. And too late because there on the ground, lies a much, much, paler Juvia - paler than her normal pale skin. Life is rapidly being drained out of her; blood is pooling all over her.

Gray's mouth dropped opened at the sight, then, he approached Juvia.

_"Juvia!" _he screamed.

_"G...Gray... sa...ma?" _Juvia muttered, her voice low and soft, and she can hardly speak with all that much blood that she's loosing.

_"Don't talk, damn it! You've only loose more blood and grow weaker!" _he said, his eyes filling with tears. _"Who the hell did this to you?! I'll make sure he pays with his life! I'll kill him even if it's the last thing I'll do!"_

_"It's... okay... Ju...via's... fine." _she tried to reassure him, her voice becoming lower as she speaks.

_"How the hell can you say this as 'fine'?" _he snaps, tears already starting to trickle down his face. _"You're loosing a lot of blood, you're becoming paler and paler... and... and... I can feel your life force being drained at a rapid rate!"_

_"Gray... sama's... here... so... Juvia's... fine. *cough* It'll... be... okay... *cough* Don't... cry..." _she forced out a weak smile. _"Even... if... Juvia... *cough* dies... she'll... have... no... regrets. *cough* Because... Gray... sama... was... with... Ju...via."_

_"No, please don't!" _he said. _"Don't you dare leave me, Juvia! I love you, I love you, I love you! I don't ever want you to leave me!"_

_"Juvia's... the... happiest girl... __*cough* _in the world." she smiled, and a tear fell from her eye. _"Juvia... finally... *cough* heard... Gray-sama... say... that."_

_"Juvia..." _he mumbles.

_"Please... don't... cry... ____*cough* _any...more..." she said and did her best to lift her hand and touch his cheek. _"Smile... for... Juvia... ____*cough* _will... you?"

_"You... wouldn't... want... ____*cough* _Juvia to... remember... a... sad... ___*cough* _Gray-sama... on her... last moments... ___*cough* _before she... goes... would... you?"

_"Don't say that kind of thing, damn it! We're always gonna stay together, right? Forever, right?" _he said and held her hand with his. _"You're not gonna die! You're not gonna leave! Please..."_

_"I'm... sorry." _she shook her head, and made another weak smile. _"Juvia... ____*cough* _promises... that... she'll... ___*cough* always... love you... ____*cough* forever."_

_________"Please... ____*cough* smile for Juvia... one... ____*cough* last... time."_

He smiled, one, sad, tearful smile...

_"Thank... you..." _she said, her voice now almost a whisper. _"Please... remember... ____*cough* I love you... ____*cough* and... I always... will... forever. ____*cough* No matter what._"

And with her last words said, her life ended. Gray screamed and cursed and cried, mourning at his beloved.

* * *

_**And cut! xD**_

_**You'll find out more about Gray's reaction or grieving later when I update it~~ **(gtg to sleep now since I stayed up pretty late just to finish this part ^^ )_

**_What do you think of the story so far~? :3_**

**_Feel free to review x3_**


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks for the faves and reviews~! x3_

* * *

The sun was up, birds were chirping, animals started to come out and play, and everyone in Magnolia was back on doing their daily basis - well, everyone, except the Fairy Tail members, especially Gray. The guild members all fell sad about hearing the news; and some who saw Juvia's body when Gray carried her to the guild - Mirajane, Wendy, Natsu, Lucy, Levy, Gajeel, Erza, and Makarov - were horrified at the sight, and angered at the same time, with sadness wrapping them in.

_'Who could have done such a thing to their comrade?' _was the thought of those eight. But Gray spoke not ever since when he got to the guild with the lifeless body he carried. And they dared not ask for a while; for it would be better if they let him be; since they know how hard it must be on him, to lose the one he loves. They just passed glances and a few whispers around, as they worked to get Juvia's body clean and ready for the ceremony. They've decided to not ask him about it yet; _'not until the ceremony finishes and he settles down and finally speaks,'_ they thought.

As part of their last goodbye ceremony to Juvia before they bury her, the guild members were asked to speak some last words, words that they would have wanted to tell her if she had still been alive, and never just got to tell her, for it was too late; or simply just some last messages for the girl.

Most of them were saying how kind she was, how caring she had been, how good she's been to them, and a few others were saying some things about how they thought she was a little creepy when she used to stalk Gray when she first joined the guild, how it seemed like she had been obsessed with Gray ever since they met, and all ended up in tears as they recalled more of what she had been. She had been their friend, their sister, their crazily-kinda-obsessed-but-cheerful-and-funny-water-girl, their family.

During this whole time, Gray just kept his head down, crying silently, not wanting to hear of these; for the more they recall, the more moments he remembers that they were together, the more he gets hurt. Right now, hurts him to remember, it hurts him to recall, for he knows that now he'll never see her again. Ever. And he was wishing that he had not wasted all those times that they were together. He regrets it a lot. All those times that Juvia was stalking her - in a not-so-good way, because she's too obvious to be seen from her hiding places - that he'd been just acting as if he doesn't know; all those times that she's talking to him, saying things, keeping him company, whereas he acts as if he doesn't care; all those times that started when they got together, when she had been doing her best to make him really happy on their monthsaries, that he had not been showing her how much he really appreciates her efforts; all those times when she does her best to do things for him, that when he acts as if it's not that much; and all those times that she had told her _'I love you' _, that he had never told her - he regrets them all. He wishes that he had done things differently instead. He wishes that he should have just showed her how much he cares, that he should have just showed her how much he appreciates her and her efforts, that he should have just told her how much she really means to him, and that he should have at least told her _'I love you', _those three words that he never had an idea how much she would have wanted him to hear until earlier; because now it's too late.

There's no more Juvia. No. More. No more sun can shine in him whenever it rains. There will be no one to understand him, to always be there when he needs someone to support him, to always cheer him up no matter what, to always show him how much he is loved, to always be with him - no one because the only person who can do that is gone. Gone.

Drip.

Drip.

Drop.

His tears makes those sounds as they fall on the ground. He makes no effort to wipe them away anymore, knowing that more are to come, so it would be useless. But... Even his tears reminds him of her. _Drip. Drip. Drop. _She loves the rain, she loves the sound of it. And he had loved it, too; because he loves everything in her. She-

His thoughts were interrupted when he feels two warm hands on his back. He looks up and sees Lucy at one side, and Natsu at the other. Even though Lucy's face was already wet from all the tears that had flown from her eyes, and Natsu had a slight trace of a tear that must have fallen from his eye, they both give them a small smile, telling him that they are here for him. Erza, Levy, Gajeel, Wendy, Mirajane, and Makarov were also approaching in their direction.

Lucy was about to say something, but then she gets interrupted by Macao, calling her to make her speech. It's Lucy's turn already, meaning he had missed all the other's speech while he was thinking, because Lucy is the second to the last speaker. But well, _'good thing she was interrupted,'_ thought Gray. He does not want to talk to anyone. Not right now. Not with anyone. He just wants to talk to Juvia, to see Juvia alive and well again; but he knows that it is not possible. He stares down at the ground again as more tears started streaming down his face. His eyes already hurt, yet he does not care. His love is gone. What else is there for him to lose?

_"...I thought you said you'd never leave us?!" _he heard Lucy yell, then he looked up to see her speaking in front of all the members present, fresh tears starting to flow from her eyes.

_"You said that you'll always be with us, because we're all a family here, aren't we?! But why did you leave us?!" _now she can't control herself from sobbing and crying out loud.

_"Why?!" _she continued, and Natsu goes up in front and tries to calm her down, holding her hand, but she does not stop talking yet.

_"I want justice! We have just got to find out who killed her! We have to! There's no way we can't just let this be! A member of our family was killed by some unknown guy with an unknown reason, and we just can't stand here and do nothing!" _she cried out, shaking.

_"Luce, Luce," _Natsu said, his voice slightly higher than Lucy's to get her attention, then hugged her to keep her steady. _"Calm down for a while... Master, Mira, and Erza are already on it; trying to track down who might've done it." _

_"J-Juvia..." _was all that she said and then buried her face in Natsu's shoulders and started crying again.

_'At least... they still have each other." _Gray thought.

And after that, Macao called Gray over for his speech.

_"It... it's just been hours since," _he said after he wiped his tears and stood up to the front, _"when you... died. but still, to me it feels like it's been an eternity already, you know? I've... never imagined that this day would even come. Never did. I always thought that you'd be with me, we'd be with each other, we'd be together... forever... always."_

_"But I guess this proves me wrong, right?" _he continued, forcing a small smile on his face. _"You know, you might think of this as stupid, but... earlier, as Mira and the others were fixing you up for your ceremony, I just couldn't dare look. I can't look at you, your lifeless, much paler body. you could call me a coward for that. I... didn't want to see, to accept... the fact that you're gone. I didn't want my last memories of you to be like that."_

_"I... All our memories together, all the times we were together, I kept repeating them over and over earlier," _a tear dropped down slowly from his eye, _"thinking... maybe I can fool myself. Even just for a minute or two, that'll be enough. Fool myself to think that you're still alive and well, and just back at our home, waiting for me so that we can start celebrating our first anniversary."_

_"Every second. All the time. All I can see is you. All I can think about is you." _he said. _"And yeah, it didn't work, the fooling myself thing didn't work. Because every time I do that, my memory of your last moments, the last words you've told before you left... kept flashing in my mind."_

_"'Juvia is the happiest girl in the world now'? Idiot, you should've just told me that you wanted to hear those three words, that you had always been hoping, and waiting that day would come; then I should've done it in a more better way, better that how it turned out, better than how I've said it that time. 'Juvia will die with no regrets'? Seriously, Juvia! What about me? I'm regretting everything I've ever done, you know? I kept blaming myself for your death ever since the second you died. Because maybe if only I came home early, then we should've been celebrating now instead of having this; then maybe you shouldn't have left to look for some guy who calls you that they have someone you know; then maybe you should've been still alive; and maybe everything was still good."_

_"I'm.. sorry," _he said, as tears started flowing down from his eyes again. _"...sorry I've never told you all what I've wanted to say... or shown you what I've wanted to show. I've always wanted to tell you how much I loved you, I always wanted to tell you how much you mean to me, I always wanted to tell you that you're everything to me... but I never got to because I was much of a coward to even say those to you face on. I've always admired it at how you have the courage to say things straightly to a person, you know? I've always wanted to show you how much I cared for you, I've always wanted to show you how much I appreciated you and all your efforts, I've always wanted to show you how much you mean to me... and now it's too late."_

_"I never... did imagine that I'd be living in a world without your smile, without your laughs, without your cheerfulness, without you. Sorry I've never showed you, or told you... because I assumed that you'd always be there." _he wiped his tears, trying to compose himself, for he was in front of everyone, speaking, so he should at least try to hold back his tears as much as he can. _"I guess you could say that I took your presence for granted; but... I always cared. And now I already miss you a lot, I miss your smile, your laugh, your everything... my world."_

_"...sorry I've never told you, everything that I wanted to say." _he said, his voice turning into sobs. _"I... just always had thought... that we would be together... always... forever."_

And he mourned and grieved and cried for his beloved... and for the forever that had been taken from them.

* * *

**_Finished~! x3_**

**_What did you think of the story? :3_**

**_Feel free to review~!_**


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